Accelator Clarifier Rehabilitation, City of Pompano Beach – steel rehab and coating with NSF Certified epoxy

City of Pompano Beach Utilities, Water Treatment Department – Pompano Beach, FL, USA
Structural re-build of steel with an epoxy paste and coated with a urethane-modified epoxy
January, 2009

The City of Pompano Beach consulted with Epoxytec to come up with a solution for the repair of their Water Treatment Plant’s Accelator Clarifier. The severity of the corrosion that has taken place on the steel left the question; can this water clarifier be repaired or will it have to be replaced?

After careful consideration of time, budget and products, the City of Pompano Beach and Epoxytec came to the conclusion that this Accelator Clarifer could indeed be rehabilitated to its original form and better.

Epoxytec helped the Pompano Beach Utilities Department write the specification for the steel rehabilitation of the potable Accelator Water Clarifier as is typical in many instances to provide free support for our clients that are unfamiliar with coating requirements and specification needs. These specifications were designed for steel coating per SSPC and NACE standards.

After the specifications were completed, the next step in the process was selecting a contractor to perform the work. Epoxytec has a network of certified contractors which are also SSPC and NACE certified, that can bid on coating and rehab projects which allows us control quality assurances and serve the warranty without having to inspect the project on a constant basis. This also allows the City of Pompano Beach to go about their daily business and let Epoxytec manage the project for them which is another service provided if requested.

The City of Pompano Beach utilized an active annual, itemized contract that allowed them to price the project per square foot. This process saved time and streamlined the start date earlier to prevent any more deterioration to the steel structure and avoid the spring season (rainy season).

The Accelator Clarifier uses turbulence by a rotor-impeller, and chemicals to treat the water that allows for the separation of sludge and contaminants from the water. This process, as you can see, takes a massive toll on the steel structure and would eventually be in need of a high performance coating that could handle this environment and also be able to combat U.V. that damages coatings exposed to outdoor environments.

After dry abrasive blasting in accordance to Nace No. 1/ SSPC-SP 5, “White Metal Blast,” an Epoxytec representative inspects the surface, as part of their agreement with City, and the patching and re-building process can begin. The surface preparation crew did a terrific job in getting the steel to where it needed to be in order to properly rehab and coat the steel.

Due to the fact that the steel had many holes and was on the verge of replacement, Epoxytec suggested the use of a structural epoxy paste to patch any holes and re-build any areas that may have weakened from the corrosion. Epoxytec’s epoxy filler is a 1:1 ratio, epoxy paste mix that has a compressive strength of 16,000 psi which bonds to steel extremely well. It’s a smart patching material because you can mix as much or as little as you need depending on the amount of surface needing repair.

Once all the steel is repaired and primed, Epoxytec conducted another inspection for the City to determine the acceptance of the coating system. Once the steel structure is deemed suitable, the coating now has to be installed to prevent future corrosion and assist in buildup of lime and calcium.Corrosion is inevitable in these environments and it is crucial to pick the the right coating for the right environment. Epoxytec Uroflex 61 was determined to be the best solution for this application. Uroflex 61 is a urethane-modified-epoxy (UME) that has great chemical and abrasion resistance as an epoxy, which is well suited in this type of clarifier as it aslo has great UV resistance due to its urethane finish. It is also a 1:1 mix ratio and can be applied by spray, brush or rollers. This allows applicators to choose the best way to apply considering all logistics of their environment.

Once completed, the steel structure is rehabilitated to its fullest and will be protected the proper way from the harsh environment inside the clarifier to the harsh environment outside the clarifier.